2018 Rescue Team Introduction Contents
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Keswick Mountain RESCUE REPORT 2018 Rescue Team Introduction Contents Welcome to the 2018 Rescue Report of Keswick Mountain Rescue Team. 1.........................................................Chairmans Report The Team operates in the area shown on the map on page 3, and elsewhere, as required. 2 ......................................................................The Team The Report includes a record of the Team’s activities throughout 2017. 3, 16-17............................................................Statistics 2017 marked the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the Team. 4-5..............................................................Team Leader Through the 70-plus years, the Team’s development and evolution has made for a highly 6-14.........................................................Incidents 2017 efficient organisation, with expertise in many areas not always apparent under the title 15...............................................................On Probation “mountain rescue team”. The Team draws upon the many individual strengths and 18 ...............................................................Search Dogs capabilities of its members. 19 ..............................................Sty Head Stretcher Box Team members are dedicated in attending training sessions, and in their response to the 20-21.......................................................Keswick Bravo text/pager/email messages to callouts. A spirit of close cooperation is engendered by 22-23...........................................................“Thank You” familiarity through a set of secure and confident personal relationships. 24.................................................................Paul Horder Thanks to local artist Venus Griffiths, who has donated the painting of Sharp Edge. Venus 25 .......................................................Treasurer’s Report has kindly donated the painting for each Annual Report since 1999. 26-27....................................................Collection Boxes The framed original is for sale to the highest bidder. It may be viewed at Derwent Frames, 28-29........................................................Venus Griffiths High Hill, Keswick. All proceeds go to Keswick Mountain Rescue Team. 30-31.................................................Please Support Us 32............................................................DVD and Book Sharp Edge is a prominent feature on Blencathra. The Edge itself, and other features of Blencathra, have seen many callouts in 2017. The website For more information about the Team see: www.keswickmrt.org.uk Sharp Edge, Blencathra Venus Griffiths and also the Facebook network service. Chairman’s Report The start of a New Year is a good time to take stock: an opportunity to reflect on the past year and to look ahead to the challenges the Team will face in the coming year. Three respected and long-standing team members left Keswick MRT over the past 12 months: Graeme Wilson, Paul Horder and Adrian Clifford. I don’t have space here to do justice to the huge contribution they have made to the Team and to the wider LDSAMRA / MREW community over the years. Suffice it to say they will be missed. 2017 also saw us welcome three new full team members: Hannah Wignall, Craig Dring and Stuart Holmes. Their contribution over the past 12 months, both to callouts and to the less visible support-side of running a large MR team like Keswick, has been fantastic. We also welcomed three new probationary members to the team: John Hunston, Richard Smith and David Hill. The commitment they’ve Incident 8 shown to their training and out on the hill during callouts has been very impressive. extension to the rescue base on Lake Road. incidents (e.g. a repeat of the Storm Desmond As long as we can continue to attract new We hope to have the building work underway floods). members of this calibre, we will continue to get by early autumn and, when completed, it will In summary: a strong financial position, stronger as a team. house a new ‘Swift Water Rescue’ facility, a new supporting an ever-stronger team. I think we improved rope-training area and an expanded On the financial front, we’re also stronger than can look forward to the year ahead with quiet control centre which will serve as a “Silver we’ve ever been. Which is just as well, as we’ll confidence. Command” communications hub for all face some big challenges in the year ahead. The Gordon Barker emergency services in the event of major most significant of those is probably the major 1 Keswick Mountain Rescue Team 2018 President Mike Nixon Chairman Gordon Barker Secretary Fiona Boyle Treasurer Ian Wallace Team Leader Chris Higgins Committee Tom Blakely Paul White Deputy Team Leaders Paul Barnes Chris Gillyon 71 Years 1947 - 2018 Steve Hepburn Medical Officer Tim Hooper Training Officers Alan Barnes Steve Hepburn Steve Allen Handyman Mark Hodgson Retired Project Director Water Officer Paul Barnes Gordon Barker Biotech Consultant Simon Hodgson Company Director Radio Officer Alan Prescott Alan Barnes Emergency Medical Technician Stuart Holmes Photographer Vehicles Officers Matt Eaves Paul Barnes Firefighter Tim Hooper GP Mick Guy Martin Bell Paramedic Katharine Horder Retired Head Teacher Equipment Officers Dan Jordan Sarah Bennett Tour Operator John Hunston Retired Accountant George Lloyd Tom Blakely Paramedic Andy Jones Guest House Proprietor Fiona Boyle Lecturer Dan Jordan Emergency Medical Technician Tom McNally Paul Cheshire Chartered Engineer Peter Little Pharmacist Base Officers Sarah Bennett Nuala Dowie Hotel Proprietor George Lloyd Student / Retail Assistant Geoff Gilmore Craig Dring Retired Procurement Manager Tom McNally Outdoor Pursuits Instructor Report Editor Peter Little Matt Eaves Soletrader: Greenescape Malcolm Miller Retired Head Teacher Secretary (membership) Tom Blakely Donald Ferguson Rope Access Technician Phil Newton Retired Collection Box Co-ordinators Malcolm Miller Chris Francis Fire Service Simon Noble Retired Teacher Paul White Richard Gale Accommodation Provider David Pratt Teacher IT Manager Rob Grange Chris Gillyon Company Director Alan Prescott Senior Manager Data Protection Officer Craig Dring Geoff Gilmore Leisure Pool Manager Lisa Price General Marina Manager Social Secretary Hannah Wignall Rob Grange Photographer Jocky Sanderson Outdoor Pursuits Instructor Mick Guy Retired Richard Smith Outdoor Pursuits Instructor Steve Hepburn Company Director Ian Wallace Retired Email: [email protected] Chris Higgins Company Director: Paul White Papermill Chemist Keswick MRT Headquarters, Outdoor Pursuits Elly Whiteford Technical Specialist Lakeside Car Park, Lake Road, Dave Hill Store Manager Hannah Wignall Sports Therapist Keswick, Cumbria CA12 5DJ 2 Keswick Mountain Rescue Team CALLOUT STATISTICS Area of Responsibility 99 Callouts, 3 Fatalities DAYS OF THE WEEK 2017 35 30 Overwater Caldbeck 25 20 Bassenthwaite 15 Skiddaw Blencathra 10 Threlkeld 5 Braithwaite KESWICK INCIDENTS INCIDENTS 0 Derwentwater MT WTFS S MONTHS OF THE YEAR 2017 20 18 Thirlmere Grange 16 Helvellyn 14 12 Seathwaite 10 8 6 4 Scafell Pike 2 INCIDENTS INCIDENTS 0 J F M A M J J A S O N D 3 Team Leader’s Report 2018 2017 was a ‘steady’ year for the team with 99 rescues, many that we might consider routine, although they must seem far from routine for our casualties. We had a good number of lower leg and ankle injuries, folk lost, overdue or missing on their own or in groups, people suffering from being too cold, whilst another suffered from being far too hot, crashed mountain bikers and others with head, neck or shoulder injuries. We also recovered the bodies of three people who had died whilst on the fells and our deepest sympathies go to their families and friends. Rescues that were a little bit out of the ordinary included rescuing a group of summer scramblers stuck 400 feet up Central Gully (whilst thinking they were in Cust’s!!), a lady trapped underground, stuck 6 feet down a very Incident 44 narrow gap at Dove’s Nest, Kip the dog who throughout the year. In fact our regular Thursday I am also grateful that everyone affected when had investigated a hole too steep to get out of, night training sessions don't seem to be enough the pagers go off are as accommodating and and a rock climber with a stuck arm on Little to cover everything so the additional training at understanding as they are. I’m sure there are Chamonix at Shepherd’s Crag. weekends or through the week are really many family occasions that are severely Not knowing when the next rescue is going to beneficial and very much appreciated. Thank disrupted when someone has to leave to put on happen and what it might be, demands that you everyone for keeping your personal skill sets their red jacket. team members have the skill set to deal with at such a professionally high standard. We need The Team continues to go from strength to any situation. Because of this we train to the to have these very high levels of technical strength with the old embracing the new, which high standards you would expect from a busy expertise in order to offer our casualties the best has been an on-going theme with this team mountain rescue team surrounded by the varied care they could expect in an environment that is since it was founded. The base extension terrain of the northern Lake District fells. Safety often hostile and sometimes dangerous. I am seems a useful metaphor. The base has served in steep ground, technical rope rescue, water extremely grateful to team members for putting